126
however, it shorcs that the Siamese are acquainted
with the Indian sage Than Manoo ( Manu).
The Siamese book Pokkbawadi gives the account of
the Hindu goddess Bhagavati.
Besides these, there are other books, which are
Buddhist in character, namely:—
(i) Somana khodom—gives the life of Bud-
dha or a Wessantara,
(ii) Jfo/wsot—contains the wars of Maha
Sot and chornL It is similar to the Bur-
man Mahn Sutha*
(iii) Phra—Photisat (=Bodhisatva)—relates
the account of a previous life of Buddha
as a Bodhisatva.1
We have other numerous Pali books introduced
into Siam. It is gratifying to note that the monks of
Siam did not only borrow the Pali literature from India,
but engaged themselves in producing many other Pali
works, giving their own interpretation of the older
books. Thus gradually the whole Pali literature in
Siam has grown to be very vast.
The Pali literature, as it has grown in Siam, is
described by M. G. Coede's in the pages of B. E. F.
E O, 1915.
It has already been stated that the Siamese king
Chulalongkorn published the whole of the Pali Tripi-
taka in Siamese character. The Pali Tripitaka is also
1. See—Capt. J. Low —On Siamese literature (Asiatic
Researches 1836 p, 338 and ff.)